Expert: Planning for the worst gives businesses best chance to survive

Being ready for an emergency — whether tornado, flood or a violent attack like that occurred Sunday in Orlando — can keep a business from being among the 40 percent that don't survive such challenges.

Of the businesses that can't resume operations within a month of a disaster, as many as 80 percent fold, said John Nebl, coordinator for the DuPage County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Nebl, who spent 27 years as a Schaumburg police officer, was the featured speaker Tuesday at the Schaumburg Business Association's monthly breakfast meeting.

He told SBA members about the importance of having a plan in place to keep a business running after a disastrous change of circumstance. This includes making sure everyone associated with the business has a family emergency plan too, in case the same disaster impacts both home and work.

“Family comes first, always,” Nebl said.

In terms of ensuring a business's continuity after an emergency, Nebl suggests owners and managers spend an hour a week talking with their employees about “What if?” scenarios until they believe all possibilities have been addressed.

“Is it really going to happen to you?” Nebl asked. “Probably not, but do you want to bet on that 'probably not?'”

Even when a tornado doesn't devastate an entire community — a common enough event in the Midwest — smaller-scale disasters can wreak havoc, such as when storm-driven power outages last for days, or flooding damages or cuts off access to a building.

In the case of the nightclub shooting in Orlando, it's not only the club itself that's affected but the businesses for blocks around it that are cordoned off as the investigation continues, Nebl said.

Overall, business owners should focus on three things — identifying critical risks, cross-training their employees and building a culture of preparedness.

As an example, Nebl noted that many businesses have an information technology person who's relied on for most everything. The business should not only provide off-site storage for its computer files but prepare for circumstances that could make that person unavailable, he said.

On a personal level, everyone should have a backpack with enough food, water and emergency lighting for three days, Nebl said. In the case of multiple tornadoes in Illinois, the ability of emergency workers to respond quickly — even in an area like Schaumburg — would be compromised, he added.

He recommends the American Red Cross's free “Ready Rating” program at readyrating.org, which is designed to help businesses, schools and organization better prepare themselves for emergencies.